An image showing the Moon and its various asteroid impacts. (Image source: Gunboat_Willie – Pixabay)
A Japanese astronomer recently filmed two asteroid impacts on the Moon. This does not happen often, which is why the information gathered could be useful for future space missions.
When we look at the Moon, the Earth’s natural satellite, we can see numerous impact sites. Recently, a Japanese amateur astronomer managed to capture two impacts – and shared the images on social media.
It was during the evening of October 30 that Daichi Fujii, who works at the Hiratsuka Museum of Art, managed to capture the first event. Apparently, he has a telescope that is permanently set so as to observe the Moon, which allowed him to obtain the rare images.Â
In the first video, we can see a powerful flash of light, which is none other than the impact of the asteroid on the Moon. Needless to say, the latter was extremely powerful, because its speed was estimated at 100,000 km/h (about 62,137 mph). But that’s not all, because on November 1st, two days later, the astronomy lover observed a second impact, located at another place, which is also powerful.
While this phenomenon is quite rare, it should be noted that US-based NASA telescopes were unable to observe it due to the temporary government shutdown, which made any observation impossible. As a result, only telescopes in Japan were able to obtain quality footage of these two events.
And that’s not all, because while the spectacle is impressive to look at, it also provides a better understanding of the frequency of impacts on the Moon – not to mention that the studies that will be conducted on this subject will be important for the future of space exploration and human presence on this satellite.
Alexis Stegmann – Tech Writer – 349 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2025
I’ve been working in the field of web writing for several years, and I’m passionate about keeping readers up to date with the latest news on astronomy, technology, the world of video games and other exciting subjects. In particular, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a number of websites, which has enabled me to cover a wide range of subjects. In my personal life, I’m passionate about a wide range of subjects, including astronomy, video games, history and science. I’m also drawn to psychology, which is a subject that deserves greater documentation and recognition.